This invention relates generally to spraying equipment and more particularly to a portable sprayer which is powered by a rechargeable battery.
Pump sprayers have long been used to spray liquids of various types such as pesticides and herbicides or concentrate detergent for washing vehicles. Typically, the sprayer includes a tank equipped with a hand operated pump which is used to supply the pressure necessary to deliver the liquid to a hand held wand used for application of the liquid. The major problem with this type of device is that considerable time and effort is required to manually operate the pump from time to time.
Accordingly, it is apparent that a need exists for a sprayer that does not require manual pumping. The present invention is aimed primarily at providing such a sprayer.
More specifically, the invention is directed to a portable sprayer having a pump which is operated by the electrical power supplied by a rechargeable battery. In accordance with the invention, a portable tank holds the liquid that is to be sprayed and may be equipped with straps allowing it to be strapped onto the back or over the shoulder. A submersible pump is housed in a cylindrical pipe which is immersed in the liquid in the tank. Rechargeable batteries are housed within the pipe and supply the electrical power necessary to operate the pump. The pump delivers the liquid through a hose which carries a spray wand on its end. An on-off switch or in line pressure type switch for the pump is located on the handle of the spray wand along with a trigger operated valve which controls the liquid flow to a discharge nozzle located on the tip of the wand.
A battery charger is provided in order to permit the batteries to be recharged when drained. If the sprayer is to be used in the vicinity of an electrical outlet or other source of AC power, an AC adapter may be connected with the sprayer in order to avoid draining the batteries. Likewise, power may be supplied from a vehicle battery by plugging an adapter into the vehicle cigarette lighter. As still another alternative source of power, a separate battery pack may be connected to supply the operating power for the pump. The battery pack may be portable and carried on a belt or elsewhere on the person, thus retaining the portable character of the sprayer and providing extended spraying time due to the presence of the additional battery.
It is an important feature of the invention that the spray wand, hose, pump and batteries are constructed as a single unit which may be threaded into the tank and unthreaded to inspect the pump or batteries or to allow the tank to be filled with additional liquid. This unitary construction facilitates maintenance while at the same time simplifying the sprayer and minimizing the number of parts.